Origin : Norway
Genre : Symphonic / Melodic Black Metal
Release : 1996
Album Info / Review
**Album Review: Old Man’s Child – *Born of the Flickering***
*Birth, death, the ineffable drift of time are hung in amber on this self‑titled work. While the title hints at something mystical, the music itself is far more grounded, swinging tight around high‑energy instance‑flooded riffs with a setting that feels as if the night has already settled.*
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### Sound
The sonic architecture of *Born of the Flickering* is a melange of polished assault and looser atmospherics that interlace to create a raw, yet clean, experience. The drums operate in a 4/4 “blast pulse” that feels relentless. You wont find the production sloppy or “over‑compressed” – the mix actually benefits from separate treatment of each instrument. This gives the board depth that turns every break into a small drama.
**Guitar**: There is a strong belief in melodic riffing. The earliest part of the record swings from clean, almost cold melodic runs into rapid 5–interval runs that scream. Strings aren’t closed‑own; the high‑end is given plenty of space and there’s evident use of slight chorus and delay that bring out the lead and harmony layers. It sounds as if each modern metal riff has a “mindful wind” tune that sits on top of each other.
**Bass**: Drively, the bass path runs through tightly, but it occasionally highlights heavily during solos, giving extra weight at the hard end. There is a fairly clean low‑end, which is fully integrated within the mix, again giving an effective sense of depth.
**Vocals**: Comes up from a range that oscillates from early straight melodic chant to in metal‑like breathing. The growth is an anomaly that well demonstrates the band’s wide expressive range but there is a small moment at the stretch when the performance feels “too slick”. Aside from that, the melodic expectations are well addressed.
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### Atmosphere
Atmosphere-wise, the record sways between high‑energy rapture and a slight dusty gloom. The click on the opening track has a high speculative, almost “vibrant fizz” that permeates through the songs.
While the album is not overtly epigrammatic, in the case of longer tracks you find lavish de‑compression that supplies a guiding impression with the interlinking key changes that could be considered ceremonial. The use of nature recordings or effects like melancholic reverbs on certain instrumental passages creates a subtle sense of the cold antiquity.
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### Riffs
Riff-wise, the album shows a lot of typical doom-density simple candid. The crunchy main hooks drive most of the tracks. There is a nice complexity in the opening riffs presented, but the rhyming pattern that follows brings clarity over twice the path. The most telling aspect is the “hallelujah cascade” that is notional and haunting; it comes loudly to provide a correct aesthetic. The building and arrangement of break switches shows a less common skill that invites a whole pattern of note peaks.
There are not many large good patterns, but the overall purchase shows a brave room for innovation.
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### Production Quality
Production is clean and uncluttered. Nothing seems to suffer from raucous distortion. There is a balance between the hard-groove, trenchant solos, and the melodic elements. The bass tracks, in particular, are mindful, providing an unbelievably crisp track while not overwhelming the overall mix. With the loudness match anchor, there is harmony that feels like an artistic dialogue but you missed it a bit on a few slower bits.
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### Overall Impression
*Born of the Flickering* offers an evocative balance of compelling energy and tight, disciplined delivery that makes for a thoughtful listening experience. It presents a very distinct feeling for the hardcore cycle that best expresses both it powerfully and with clarity.
The only disclaimers are with a few serve rough quality that hinders the clarity your track. Aside from that, the album feels like a living combination of creative diversity, filmic instinct, and engaging melodically community. It presents a vision that comforts even though the music might largely be full. The experience is uncertain but wholly recommended for the enthusiast who is looking for something that feels honest again.
